


temple green, is anyone looking back at me?

by timefornothing



Series: i kneel before the green light [2]
Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, The power of friendship, here i go again, i can't shut up about tomi, idk how many things i'll put in here, they're important okay, this is just more self indulgent stuff, tomi and jason are an important brotp, tomi oliver - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-10-25 20:55:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10772256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timefornothing/pseuds/timefornothing
Summary: i'm making up scenes from the power rangers sequel because i want tomi to be there





	1. green dolphin street provided the setting

**Author's Note:**

> if someone wants to forward this to the writers and producers that'd be cool
> 
> this first scene is how they'd introduce tomi's character

_[Movie opens up on a sparring session.]_

Trini let out a wild cackle as she decked Zack once again, sending him flying to the ground, where he hit the dirt hard. Kim cheered proudly, coming up beside her and high-fiving her while Jason helped Zack stand.

"Jesus, crazy girl, go easy on me, will ya?" He teased, one hand rubbing his chest. "You about cracked my entire ribcage."

Trini snorted, "Putties aren't gonna go easy on you, so why should I?" Kim giggled next to her, and Trini shot her a grin before they're interrupted by a shout from above.

Billy comes out to the ledge, looking down at everyone. "You guys gotta come see this."

The rangers make their way up to the bridge of the ship, to the room with Zordon. Alpha 5 was fretting in front of the wall, wringing their hands while they mumbled something about, "This doesn't just _happen_ , you know? Usually there's a bit more time, or some forewarning, or even a signal of some sort--"

"The green coin has always been fickle," Zordon told him, although his face was grave as well. "It's always been the most unpredictable, especially with the rangers it chooses. They've never been the typical sort--"

"What's going on?" Kim interrupted as the rest of them came in, all with matching confused expressions. Zack's eyes widened as he looked in front of them.

"Holy shit, since when are there six morph pads?"

Everyone turned to look, pausing. Where there had been five in the circle before, a sixth one had inserted itself, directly in between the red and black pads. In front of them, the morphing grid was swirling more actively than usual, the green brighter than it had been when Rita was in possession of the coin. Instead of the dark, muddy green, it was clearer, a luminous hunter green, usual pinpricks of light swirling around in it just like the other colors.

Kim's eyes met Trini's, and both of them looked to Zordon as it clicked. Zack looked around the room, and Billy was crossing his arms, staring hard at the morphing grid.

Jason looked back at Alpha 5, the seriousness of the situation finally settling around the room. But even with the threat, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of hope. _The coins choose their rangers,_ Zordon had told them before. _It's never a coincidence._

"So...there's going to be another ranger?" Zack clarified, and everyone looked down again to the sixth morphing pad that had appeared. 

"If the morphing pad is already here..." Alpha 5 started, then looked up to Zordon. 

Zordon sighed heavily, lips pressed into a tight line. "Then the coin has already chosen."

_[Cut scene to the quarry. Green Monkey by America is playing as the camera opens up on a big pile of rocks. Draped unceremoniously across one rock is the same green varsity jacket we see from the post-credits scene of the first movie. Behind the rocks, down a small slope, a black backpack is laying on its side, contents falling out. The bag has a green ribbon with soccer balls tied to the top carry handle. Among the folders and notebooks, a[paleontology textbook](https://www.google.com/search?q=basic+guide+to+palentology+book&rlz=1C1NHXL_enUS716US716&oq=basic+guide+to+palentology+book&aqs=chrome..69i57.3959j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#tbm=shop&q=paleontology+in+california+book&spd=10342716768876329586) lays on the ground with post it notes sticking out all over. A map is underneath with circles around certain areas and a big arrow pointing to one in particular. Half on top of the book is an article about the power rangers saving Angel Grove a month ago. We continue the downward slope of the camera along the ground and see two mint green socks balled up next to a pair of black converse and a speaker, which is blasting the song.]_

_[The camera flips around, pulling back from the speaker to reveal a wider shot of what looks like a muddy bank, and as it continued to pan out, there's a very muddy river. Humming is heard, and the camera turns to reveal a teenager. They have their hair pulled up in a bun on top of their head, but pieces are falling out. A loose-fitting grey tank top is layered over an army green sports bra, and black leggings have been rolled up over the knees. They're calf-deep in water, singing to themselves as they sift through the mud on the bank.]_

Tomi Oliver paused in their searching, eyes widening as they shoved their arm even further into the muddy water. With a grimace, they pulled out--

"Another rock." Their face flattened in annoyance. Tomi sighed, chucking it over their shoulder. A second later, the rock strikes something with a high-pitched _ping_ , and then a small splash. Tomi paused, confused. Straightening up, they turned around, squinting at a different part of the bank. 

Something green was glistening, reflecting light from the sun. Confused, Tomi waded over to it, pulling it carefully out of the mud. They leaned down, rinsing it off in the water before pulling it back up to examine it. It's the green ranger coin, and Tomi frowned down at it.

"Emerald?" They shook their head, flipping it over. "Nah, too yellow. Not rounded, though. Olivite?" Suddenly, the coin started to smoke, and they let out a shout, as if burned. The coin dropped back into the water with bubbles surrounding it.

"Shit, shit." Tomi shoved her hands back in the water, digging around the area where the bubbles and dim green glow were coming from. With a shout of success, they pulled it back out, then quickly began tossing it from hand to hand to keep from being burnt. Panicking, they turned back towards the bank as the glow grows brighter. However, running through water is not easy, and Tomi shrieked and faceplanted just as the green glow flashed.

_[Green glow whites out the screen. The Power Rangers movie title pops up, colors of every ranger glowing around it before it fades]_


	2. when the wind was green like a living thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this movie's not even been confirmed to be happening yet and i'm already a mess over tomi

"There's putties downtown?" Trini asked, exasperated. Her eyebrows shot up her head. "But--I thought only Rita could make them! If they're here, does that--" She looked wildly at Kim, eyes wide. "Does that mean--"

"We don't know what it means," Alpha 5 interrupted quickly, probably sensing her increasing heartbeat. "But we need to stop them. They're headed straight for that doughnut place you love again."

"For the crystal." Jason locked eyes with Billy, then nodded. "Alright, let's go."

"Is it morphin' time?" Zack asked with a grin, and Jason sighed. 

"Yes, Zack. It's morphin' time."

Just a few minutes later, they landed in the middle of downtown, amidst all the reconstruction that had been going on. Kim was the first to point, spotting the putties. "There!"

Jason barely needed to direct them anymore. Their movements over the past month had become so in sync, Jason felt like they were practically reading each other's minds. Billy was sprinting to get the few citizens out of the way while Zack was headed straight for the Krispy Kreme. They were holding their own, but there were so many putties. Where had they come from?

Jason was fighting three at once when he felt it more than heard anything. It was a strange prickling sensation along his back, similar to the feeling of when their Zords were joining together. Making quick work of the putty right in front of him, he turned to look, and his breath froze in his throat.

A flash of green shot out of the sky, landing directly on a putty thirty yards away and smashing it to pieces. Jason was frozen, staring at the impossible scene in front of him. There's no way, it had taken them days to morph, _Rita had literally been launched into the atmosphere--_

Another putty jumped in front of him, and he turned his attention back to the fight. He heard his team clearing the putties away around him, and finally, after what felt like ten minutes of straight fighting, the last one fell apart. A few bystanders cheered, but Jason was frozen, mind still trying to make sense of it.

Their armor didn't shine nearly as much as the others did, more of a matte color with deep swatches of a darker grey like Zack's. Across the chest were speckles of gold, almost like freckles that mirrored the spots in the morphing grid. The same gold flickered around the ankles and feet, but Jason couldn't stop staring at the helmet, at the dark glass that hid whoever's face was behind it.

Behind him, Trini saw it first. Kim and Zack weren't far behind, and finally, Billy turned around from trying to get someone to stop recording. All at once, their minds were flashing with surprise, shocked shouts echoing in his ears.

"Holy crap, holy shit no way--"

"Where did they find that thing?!"

"There's no way, there's no way--"

The green ranger was standing in front of them, and Jason felt his heart stop in his chest.


	3. hey green devil, take a walk with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know, when i first started this, there wasn't really supposed to be a plot

_[Scene opens up on the school hallway. Jason and Kim are walking together, heads bent together and talking quickly and quietly.]_

"Well someone's gotta tell her."

"You think I want to? She hated me."

"It's not like we're best friends either!"

"Well, you two did have a sort of connection," Jason replied with a smirk, but it fell away as Kim whipped around to glare at him.

"Not funny, Jason. We were 13. 13 year olds do dumb things." 

Jason held up his hands, smile slowly creeping back up his face. "Hey, who am I to judge what kind of girls you kiss?"

"It was spin the bottle!" Kim hissed, then turned away from him with a huff. "And besides, she kissed me." Jason smirked, but continued to follow her down the hall. As they rounded a corner, they spotted Tomi, walking with a couple of the soccer players.

"Go ahead, fearless leader," Kim muttered, and Jason sighed.

"Hey, Tomi!"

The hallway quieted as people pretended not to listen. Jason Scott was still something untouchable to most of them, a fallen god amongst his worshippers. Next to him, the disgraced Kimberly Hart was still a surprise to most people, but nothing like when they walked around with Trini, Zack, or Billy. No, it was probably better that they weren't here right now. Then people wouldn't even pretend they weren't listening.

Tomi turned around, a confused look on her face. Her lettermen jacket displayed letters from the three years she played on varsity soccer already, impressive as a junior. Beside her, her friends looked equally as confused, although one of them snorted upon seeing who was calling after her.

"Hey Tomi," Kim said cheerfully, forcing a smile on her face. "What's up?"

"Nothing really." Tomi smirked, obviously enjoying how uncomfortable Jason was with the looks the people around them were giving. Kim, however, was used to it by now. "'Sup with you?"

"Oh, nothing." Kim waved, smiling tensely at Tomi's friends before looking back at her. "Just wondering if you were free after school today?" Her smile stretched wider, trying to imply what she really meant.

One of the friends outright snorted, but Tomi ignored them as her eyes widened. She looked at Jason--fidgeting with his backpack strap--before looking back at Kim with a smile. "Yeah, I'm free. Trying to reconnect?"

Kim's blush was immediate, and she hated it, trying to swallow it back down as Tomi's friends laughed. With a deep breath, she replied breezily, "I'm down if you are."

The hallway was dead silent. Jason had been right, no one had forgotten the spin the bottle incident. He glanced around warily before looking back and found that Tomi had the widest, wildest grin he had ever seen...save for when Zack jumped into the gorge for the first time.

"Definitely." Tomi winked at Kim before beginning to walk away. "I'll meet you after school, 'kay?" She smiled at Jason as well before turning around. Her friends, shocked, followed her shakily, one of them leaning back to whisper to the other while Tomi's walk almost had a lighter step to it. Slowly, the hallway returned to its normal volume, and Jason turned to Kim, eyes wide.

"I'm down if you are?"

Kim frowned, still blushing. She glared at him. "Shut up." Jason started laughing, and the two moved on to their next classes.

 

By the time Kim and Jason had gotten up to the top of the cliffs with Tomi, Zack, Trini, and Billy were already there. Trini didn't miss the way Tomi was smirking, and crossed her arms, settling into a defensive stance.

"So...we train on top of some rocks?" Tomi asked, looking around. "What do we do, punch the ground until it breaks?"

"Usually we hit each other for sparring," Billy corrected. "We practice on each other in our suits."

"Oh, so we're going to put our suits on?" Tomi asked, then dropped her backpack and jacket on the ground. "Alright, gimme a second, the coin's around here somewhere--"

"Wait, wait, hold up." Zack held a hand out, stopping her from digging through her pocket. "You're telling me you can just morph? Like, with only the coin?"

"Uh," Tomi gave him a look, "Yeah? Isn't that how we change?" She looked to Kim, who looked at Jason, confused.

"Not...not really, no." Jason frowned, looking over to Billy, who shrugged. "We use the morphing pads, and it usually takes a bit."

"The pads allow us to connect with the morphing grid, and that's how we morph," Billy explained, staring at Tomi intently. "Although, that is an interesting idea. If we could somehow replicate the frequency of the morphing pads into a small, handheld device, we could probably morph on the go."

"Cool idea, Billy, but maybe later?" Jason prompted, then looked back to Tomi. "Look, we'll take you down to where we train, and then we'll talk about the morphing thing."

"You mean it's not up here?"

"Nope." Trini grinned, then grabbed Tomi's arm forcefully. "Leave your phone with Billy." Confused, Tomi tossed it over to him, then shrieked as Trini tugged hard. "Hope you can swim!" Without waiting, Trini had dragged Tomi over to the edge and pulled her over, and they heard Tomi scream all the way down until the splash.

"Remind you of something?" Zack smirked over to Kim, who rolled her eyes.

"Do you think she's okay?" Billy asked. "It was really scary the first time, and I can't imagine someone shoving me over, especially if I had no idea what was going on."

A laugh echoed back up, and Zack smiled.

"Looks like she's okay."

"Got the waterproof backpack?" Jason asked Billy, and he nodded, quickly pulling it out. They left their other things up here before shoving all of their phones and shirts into the bag. Kim pulled her leggings off as well, throwing them in. Zack whistled, and Kim frowned at him.

"Have you ever tried training in wet leggings? It sucks."

Zack and Jason both looked down at their pants, looked at each other, and then pulled off theirs as well.

Billy covered his eyes. "This is so not a good first impression."

 

Alpha 5 pulled them all quickly into the room with the morphing pads, where everyone stepped on to their pad. Tomi stepped onto hers, following suit, uncharacteristically quiet. Alpha had already gushed for about ten minutes about being able to morph without the pad, and Zordon was deathly silent, watching her with a careful gaze. With a nod from Jason, everyone morphed.

Tomi was done in nearly one second, while most of the others still had their chest plating coming in. She watched as their suits drifted down along their arms, smirking when they finally finished. "I win."

"It's not a race," Trini told her, and immediately felt the wave of annoyance from Jason. She set her jaw, stepping off the morphing pad. Everyone else followed as Alpha 5 directed them down to the pit to assess her abilities.

Tomi's personality flowed as soon as they started training. She was crass, sarcastic, made comments into the empty silence when things got tense, and kept everyone laughing. She was an intense fighter, one of the only people able to match Trini's speed and aggressiveness, even though she lacked any technique. She only successfully pulled off the duck and flip once with Zack, but she was great at the kicks. Zack and her hit it off immediately, even if he was a little harsh with his teasing. She seemed to roll with it, giving as good as she was getting, and Kim found herself laughing at them.

Trini was quiet the entire time, focused on the fighting and learning new moves. Billy was more than happy to explain things step by step to Tomi, and she listened intently, even taking off her mask so he could see her face as he explained.

But when it came time for practice to end, it took her twice as long to take her armor off.

Jason was pretty sure everyone could feel the odd wave of emotion that rolled out from her when Alpha told them to demorph, and he watched her carefully as once more, her armor came off one piece at a time. Her smile had a bitter twist to it when the mask fell away, green eyes clouded in thought. She still joked with Zack on the way back up, even if it was tense and not quite as breezy as before.

"You need a ride home?" Jason asked as they neared the cars, and Tomi started, surprised by the question.

"Oh, nah, I think I'm good." She smiled half-heartedly. "Think I'm gonna walk. It's a nice night."

"I'll come with you," Zack offered, and she made a face.

"You don't know we're headed in the same direction."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter." With a roll of her eyes, she agreed, and they headed off, waving back to the group.

"I think she'll do okay," Jason commented, watching as she shoved Zack away from her with a laugh. Kim nodded, adding, "She just needs time to adjust, I think."

"Yeah. Whatever." Trini turned to avoid the looks the rest of the team shot her. "Catch you kids later." With a leap, she was far away from them, headed back to her own house. 

Jason invited Tomi to sit with them at lunch the next day, and in detention, she and Zack and Billy passed notes the entire time. She didn't miss a practice once, and although she was quick to pick up on fighting moves, her demorph seemed to take longer every time.

After a week, Jason stopped questioning the bitter look on her face every time she had to take it off. 

Up on the moon, Rita watched with a smile and waited.


	4. green door, what's that secret you're keeping?

"You're telling me you've never listened to ABBA?" Tomi huffed, hands on her knees. They were sparring without their suits today, and Tomi had been agitated and antsy the entire time. She continually yanked at her tank top, and finally, just to get her to focus on something else, Jason had sent her up to fight with Billy. Billy was the best with the training staffs, and Tomi seemed to still be having trouble with that weapon. Even after only a week, Jason had begun to pick up on the fact that Tomi wasn't the best at not being distracted, and needed something to be going on constantly. So, sparring with someone better than her, it is.

Besides being aggressive, she was also incredibly competitive.

Billy's hands were on top of his head, and he was breathing hard as well as he shook his head. They had just finished a spar when Tomi had laughed and sang breathily, "Mama mia, here we go again." Billy had immediately asked intelligently, "Huh?"

"ABBA. You've never listened to ABBA?"

"I'm not totally sure I know the band or person you're referring to."

"Dancing Queen?" Tomi questioned, and Billy shook his head again. "Man, I've gotta put some of their music on my phone or something. You'd love them."

"I mean, it'd probably take me a while to love them, but if you really like them, I'm sure I'd be interested."

Tomi laughed and stood back up, picking up the fighting staff. Billy was one of the only people she felt totally comfortable around for some reason. Over the past week, she'd spoke to him more than any of the others, save for when Zack kept trying to walk her home. She and Billy talked at school often, especially since they were in the same Honors Biology class. "Billy, you're a blast, have I ever told you that?"

He gave her a look. "Uh, no, I don't believe you've said that, no."

She grinned. "Let's go again."

 

"Come on, let me have a little snack."

"No, get off, you weirdo." Tomi laughed, yanking back her backpack from Zack. He held on tight while she shouted, "Those granola bars are for me! I paid for them!"

Zack pulled back, "But you won't even share with your best friend?"

Tomi yanked harder. "Who says _you're_ my best friend? What if it's Billy?"

Zack yanked once more, "You're picking Billy over _me?!"_ and the backpack exploded.

Tomi's things went flying around the top of the cliffs, and Billy shouted as some things hit him from where he was standing the closest. Kim started laughing with Jason, and Trini somehow caught the folder that had been about to take her eye out.

"Look what you did!" Tomi laughed, and she and Zack were bent over from laughing. "Oh my god, you jerk."

"I'm so sorry," he wheezed, leaning down to pick up the half of the backpack he ripped. "Here, here's some of it."

Tomi rolled her eyes. "Thanks, my hero."

"Here, let me help," Kim giggled, and slowly, everyone leaned over to help Tomi pick up her things.

"Is this the reason your backpack is always so heavy?" Jason asked in awe, holding up a large textbook. "Paleontology of California? Is this even for a class?"

"Just some light reading," Tomi quipped back, taking the book and making Trini snort. The book was easily five pounds. She shoved it into the pocket that was still half together, and everyone looked over as Billy spoke.

"Oh, man."

He slapped a hand over his eyes, holding out something that looked like a piece of clothing. It was dark, but Trini caught it as Tomi's face dropped. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, this hit me," Billy was rambling. "I don't know if this is--an undergarment, I didn't mean to see it, this is not mine, it's yours, I don't know, I'm so sorry for touching it--"

Tomi snatched it away quickly, shoving it in the backpack as fast as she could. "It's fine, Billy."

He now had two hands over his eyes. "I know we always change before jumping in the water and everyone's always in their underwear so it's not that weird because I guess I've seen it before but this seems different because it's not on you and also it's kind of bigger than I thought it would be and how does that--"

"It's fine, Billy!" Tomi shouted, and everyone froze. She'd never raised her voice like that at any of them before. Even with the sun setting, it was easy to see how red her face had gone. She seemed shocked herself, eyes wide as she stared at Billy. After glancing quickly at Jason, Tomi turned and jumped, taking her far away from them as quickly as she could move.

"Why was she so embarrassed about a sports bra?"

"Because it's not a sports bra, Zack," Trini sighed. Ignoring the looks from the other rangers, she looked away. "I'm gonna head out." She jumped away as well, leaving the other four to look at each other.

"I'm sorry," Billy said again quietly, and Jason shook his head.

"I'm sure she's not actually mad at you, Billy. Don't worry about it." Silently, everyone left.

The next day, Billy found a CD in his locker. Written on it was 'A few ABBA songs and some other important rock songs.' The CD case was green.

Tomi was not that subtle. Of anyone, Trini was positive that Tomi would let it slip first.

 

Rita watched as the green swirled darker, the smaller pinpricks of light going out. She grinned, eyes alight. "Just a bit more…"


	5. and then my green hearts won't mean anything

Putties popped up downtown again, once more aiming for the Krispy Kreme. The workers watched, annoyed. They were used to this kind of thing by now.

What they weren't used to, however, was the giant black battle axe that appeared in the hands of the black ranger.

"What the shit! This is so sick!" Zack sliced through putty after putty, laughing as they didn't stand a chance. With his new weapon, the attack was over in just a few minutes, and the rangers regrouped in front of Zordon.

"Well done," he commented, obviously impressed. "It seems your team bonding is coming along nicely. The more in tune you are with your team, the more surprises will reveal themselves."

Trini and Tomi both looked away awkwardly, and Jason frowned. Tomi was bonding with Kim okay, and she and Billy seemed to get along well, but otherwise, things were still tense. She and Zack seemed to have some sort of weird competition going in everything, and Jason had no idea what that was about. He got along okay with her, but it was easy to see it was awkward as well. She and Trini barely spoke. Zordon wasn't completely honest, and everyone knew it, but Zack's good mood didn't fade, even as it turned into night.

"Who wants another team sleepover?" He called as they left the gorge, shaking the water out of his hair. "I can run and grab some snacks real quick, we can make s'mores or something."

Jason finished pulling his shirt back over his head, shrugging. "I'm down."

Tomi looked at them, eyebrow quirked. "Are these a regular thing?"

"Not really," Kim shrugged, looking questioningly at Trini. "We've only really done one, but they're pretty fun."

"Yeah, I'm down," Trini smirked, then looked at Zack. "Only for the s'mores, though."

They headed down to the fire pit, and Zack was back ten minutes later with the s'more stuff.

"This fire's too wimpy for s'mores!" He called out as soon as he landed, skidding a bit on the gravel.

Tomi snorted, leaning back from the fire. "Blame Mr. Boy Scout here, he has no idea what he's doing."

"Okay, to be fair, I was never actually in boy scouts," Jason defended, making everyone laugh. It only took four s'mores before Zack finally started with the questions.

"Who here do you think is the best fighter?"

"Trini," Kim and Tomi said immediately, and both of them looked at each other in surprise before laughing. Trini, on Kim's other side, blushed and looked away, trying to hide her smile.

"That's pretty much unanimous, I think," Jason agreed, and Zack smirked.

"Fair enough. Okay, harder question. Who here has the best hair?"

"Oooo, tough one," Tomi grinned at him, and Zack smiled back before Jason answered.

"I like Kim's new style."

She snorted. "Thanks, I did it in the bathroom at school."

Trini's eyes widened. "Wait, that was legit? You did it at _school?"_

Tomi laughed brightly, "Oh my God, I thought that was just a rumor!"

Kim leaned back, smiling. "Nope, all me."

"Badass," Zack nodded, then raised his s'more once more. "Okay! Who here…" He looked around mischievously before his eyes settled on Tomi. "Is the best kisser?"

Tomi snorted, and Jason gave him a look. "How the hell would we know?"

Zack shrugged. "I dunno, sometimes you can just tell."

Billy looked thoughtful. "Tomi would probably have the most accurate opinion, considering she's kissed the most of us."

Everyone was silent, and then Trini and Zack turned to Tomi with wide eyes. Zack whispered, "What?"

"Billy!" Tomi sputtered, almost choking on her soda. "That was a secret!"

"I didn't say _who_ you kissed!" He protested, and Tomi waved her hand wildly as Zack started laughing.

"The whole thing was a secret! Not just the who!"

"Who e--alse--ell," Jason stuttered, swallowing awkwardly, "Who all have you kissed?"

Tomi pursed her lips, then sat back with a smile. "Nope, not saying. I don't kiss and tell."

"She kissed me." Billy raised a finger. "I asked what one was like, and she offered to show me. It was pretty nice."

Jason turned beet red. "You kissed--she kissed you?" His tone was almost defeated, and Tomi smirked at him.

"Everyone already knows we kissed when we were 13," Kim raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Trini giggled.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that."

"So…" Zack leaned forward, "Is that it?"

Tomi only grinned at him.

"Aw, come on!"

The group laughed, the sound echoing off the rocks and into the night.

A few hours later, Kim was laying on her back, staring up at the stars. The blanket was soft beneath her, and she could feel the faint heat from Trini, lying only a few feet away.

"Do you hate me for it?"

Kim almost laughed, caught off guard by the question. She did snort, making Tomi turn and look at her. Tomi was diagonal, lying with her head on Kim's blanket and her feet on Zack's. "What? It's a valid question! You were all weird when Billy brought it up."

Kim shook her head, whispering, "Do I hate you for kissing me?" 

Tomi nodded, still frowning. Kim smirked, looking back up at the stars. Everyone else was long asleep, the night quiet and peaceful. Not that she would have really minded discussing this in front of any of them. It was almost like they were her family by now. She had confessed to them about the picture thing a few weeks ago, and they had all done almost exactly the same as Jason had. They told each other everything, and they were closer than Kim remembered feeling with anyone else her entire life.

"And...I know people brought it up a lot," Tomi continued quietly, which was odd enough in itself. Tomi's inside voice was a low yell, at best. But still, she murmured, "Especially during your whole thing. While you were gone, people brought it up a lot. They said some pretty mean shit about you when you weren't there."

Kim nodded. She had guessed as much, especially about the comments and names a few of the girls had whispered when she walked by. How had she ever thought they were all friends? The rest of the rangers were never anything but kind, and even if they got a little hotheaded at times, they always apologized. That was what real friendship was. Supporting each other, even though the rough stuff.

"No, I don't," Kim finally answered, and she didn't miss the way Tomi relaxed. With a small smirk, she added, "If anything, it helped sort some stuff out for me back then."

Tomi's eyes widened, and then she laughed, slapping a hand over her mouth to try and keep herself quiet. Kim grinned alongside her, warmth filling up her chest. 

When Tomi's giggled had finally died away, she turned once more to look at Kim. In a sly voice, she asked, "Your tastes are a bit yellow nowadays anyways, amirite?"

Kim blushed immediately, and Tomi laughed once more into the night. Either Kim wasn't as subtle as she thought she was, or Tomi was a lot more perceptive than she appeared.

 

Rita looked reassuringly at her minions, who were practically shaking as the green light was slowly glowing brighter once more.

"Don't worry, it's still not a good morph. I'll make it worse before it gets any better."

"But how?" The one rasped, hands clutching each other tightly.

"Once a ranger, always a ranger," Rita cooed, fingers tapping the oddly swirling glass in front of her. "On some level, the coin still answers to me. And if I can influence the coin, the ranger is no trouble." Her smile turned malicious. "We'll use her own weakness against her."


	6. bring back electric green; when the morning comes, we'll be overdone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to say that tomi and jason's friendship is really important to me

Tomi spun away from Trini's wild jab, trying to ignore just how sharp those practice daggers looked. That couldn't be legal, even if training didn't really have any rules. Once again, they were practicing without suits, and as usual, Tomi was uncomfortable and fidgeting the whole practice.

The others had moved off to work on things in a different area, leaving Trini and Tomi sparring wildly. The fighting staff Tomi had was practically useless against the daggers, and if anything, Trini was only moving faster and faster. One too many times, the daggers just barely missed Tomi's throat, and after the most recent swipe, she stumbled back a bit for a breath.

"Damn, Trini, something wrong?"

Trini scowled at her, chest heaving. "Just working out some frustrations."

Tomi smirked at her, hands gripping the staff tighter. "Troubles making you see pink?"

One of the daggers whizzed by Tomi's face, and in the next instant, Trini was leaping, knocking Tomi over. She bounced back up, and they were locked in a flurry of fists and knives. Finally, Tomi had an opening, and she whipped the staff around, managing to snag a dagger from Trini's hand. With two more quick moves, she had Trini pinned against the wall, dagger to her throat.

"What is _up_ with you today?" Tomi asked, eyes narrowed. Both of them were gasping for breath. They usually didn't go this hard in practice, nevermind with weapons. Tomi could already feel where several bruises would be coming in, healing factor be damned.

Trini shoved her off, and Tomi let her, looking after her with a frown. "Look, I get you're not my biggest fan, but if you could not try and kill me during practice, that'd be cool."

"You won, didn't you?" Trini snapped back, throwing her hands in the air. "Just like you win at everything! Fastest morpher, smartest kid in science class, kissed the most rangers. You're just _so_ freakin' sweet, I can't handle it." She rolled her eyes, and Tomi turned to face her.

"Are you jealous?"

Trini looked away, and Tomi's eyes widened. "Holy shit, wait. Are you _actually_ mad at me because I kissed…" It clicked in Tomi's head, and her mouth dropped open, all anger disappearing. "You're jealous I kissed Kim. Oh my God."

"No I'm not! Shut up!" Trini faced away from her, and Tomi actually let out a laugh, making her whip back around. "Something funny?"

Tomi nodded, still laughing breathlessly. "Yeah, that you actually think there's something to be jealous of." Trini almost growled, and Tomi held her hands up innocently. "Dude, we were in middle school. It was for a game, that's it. There's nothing there."

"But I see the way you look at her!" Trini argued, fists clenched. "You two are always laughing together! You're definitely flirting with her!"

"It might look like flirting, but it definitely is not, I can promise you that," Tomi told her, trying to make her tone less mocking. "Besides, I think you're missing on the most important thing, which is the way she looks at _you."_

That made Trini pause. "What?"

Tomi smirked. "All I'm saying is that there's probably more going for you than you realize. You should like, ask her to a movie or something."

Trini's mouth opened and closed a couple times before she narrowed her eyes. "You sure you're not making moves on her?"

Tomi grinned. "Nah, she's all yours."

Trini looked away, then nodded once. "Oh. Okay. Well...sorry. For, uh, trying to kill you."

"Hey, it's understandable." Tomi smiled, "I'd probably kill someone too if they were flirting with someone I liked."

Trini smirked back at her, then leaned down and picked up her dagger. "Well, I don't think you've gotta worry about anything. No one else could handle that tornado of chaos like you do."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Trini continued smirking as she flipped her dagger in the air, turning to walk over to where the rest of the group was. "I'm just saying, I'm not the only one makin' eyes at another ranger."

 

It had been close to two and a half weeks, and Tomi still couldn't figure out how to demorph faster. That wasn't the only problem with her morphing, either. Her armor in training that day had actually turned red along the arms, making everyone freeze. She could feel the way Trini was watching her, their friendship still new but shaky, could feel the way Kim was afraid. _If it turns red it could turn another color, she could take my armor, she could take my place._

Jason had assured her it was okay, had promised it was probably just a fluke. The red had faded after a few minutes, but everyone was still shocked enough that they were distracted the rest of practice. They were dismissed soon enough, Tomi hanging around after Zordon asked for her to stay. Worried, Jason waited just out of sight. He knew how unforgiving the old ranger could be, and with everyone else still nervous enough about Rita's influence over the coin, he wanted to be there in case Zordon tried to overstep his boundaries.

"You need to figure it out soon," Zordon told her once everyone was gone, and Tomi turned away from him, throwing her hands in the air.

"I don't see why it's such a big deal!" She protested. "I can morph faster than anyone, and I can do it wherever, not just on the pad. Isn't that what you want?"

"It's not the morphing I'm worried about," he told her quietly, and her eyes reflected the light of the morphing grid in front of her. All was still, save for a few streaks of yellow dancing around the pink, and the odd purple at the bottom, but the green swirl was a mess of dark, ruddy colors. Not the colors of a healthy morph. He had seen those colors before, and knew what they could mean. "Without stability, you won't be able to communicate as well with your teammates. You won't bond properly with your Zord. Your special weapon may never come."

Tomi thought bitterly about Trini's daggers, about Jason's sword. "I'm doing my best."

Zordon's sigh was heavy and weighted with millenia of knowledge about the green rangers. Something about them was always unstable, always changing. While it was sometimes an advantage, having a ranger who could so easily adapt to using another coin in times of trouble, or one who could use another's weapon as easily as their own, this is why it was bad. Until it was controlled, their energy would warp out and destroy all the hard work their bonds had been creating.

He himself hadn't seen her with red armor today, but he had seen the flicker in the grid, had felt the shift of energy. That shift had felt all too familiar to Rita's own change.

"Sometimes your best isn't enough."

Out in the hall, it took everything Jason had to make himself stay quiet.

Tomi left not long after, and he followed her quietly out. She turned and began walking up the cliffs instead of her usual path home, and he couldn't hide out in the open like this.

"Not your usual way home, huh?" He called, and she startled, eyes wide in the night.

"Are you following me?"

He shrugged casually, still catching up to her. "Just trying to make sure you're okay. Zordon...can be a bit rough at times."

She snorted. "Understatement of the year." Thankfully, Tomi waited for him to catch up, and she led the way back onto the hiking trails. They were silent on the walk, each of them caught up in their own heads. Not that there was much to say, anyways. They had never spoken much between them. He vaguely recognized the path, and finally realized where they were just before they stepped out onto the cliff. Below them, the city sparkled like a thousand tiny suns, and they looked down on it quietly.

"You know we can probably help you get your morphing figured out, right?"

Jason instantly regretted using that to break the silence. Tomi tensed up immediately, and she scowled, looking away from the city. While direct approaches often worked best with her, it wasn't always the best choice if the approach was _about_ her.

"It's not that simple," she huffed, sitting heavily on the ground. Her feet kicked into the empty air, hanging off the edge. Jason nodded, settling down next to her. They were only a few inches apart, though it felt like miles. How could he lead his team when he couldn't understand them?

How could he understand them when they were still keeping secrets?

Kim had come clean, and the rest of them--for the most part--were honest with each other about everything. Aside from a few miscommunications about feelings, they were all on the same page. Or at least they had been getting there until Tomi had been thrown into the mix. He wasn't blaming her, but a new addition to the team was a major adjustment, and it was hard for everyone to trust each other when she didn't trust them. She was still holding back on some things, and he felt them every time they morphed. Maybe it was because he was the red ranger, but he was more in tune with what everyone else was feeling every time they had the suits on. It was all too easy to feel the distrust between his whole team, and the protective walls Tomi kept around her.

With the story of Rita's betrayal still in the backs of their minds, it was hard to know if they should let her keep her secrets or not.

"It's never simple. Trust me, I get it." He looked down at their legs, boots swinging in time. Things had been tense between them since the mix of red her armor had during training that day, and the others had all been worried. Kim was on edge the rest of practice, and he caught her eyeing up Tomi's armor more than a few times, as if checking for any other spots of color. Jason knew it didn't mean anything, but he still couldn't help but think since then about how in sync their movements were. Their fighting styles, their speech patterns, even their handwriting was starting to look the same.

Where the green ranger's adaptive abilities ended and began, Jason wasn't sure. If anything, the green coin could probably just blur the lines even more. Even so, he had a sneaking feeling that the color switching was less about her trying to steal his powers and more about something else.

"You don't have to pretend to be someone else to fit in," he told her.

Tomi looked back, green eyes shining with tears. Slowly, he continued, "I can't like, pretend to know everything that's going on with you. I get that it's a lot different, but I still think I could be the first to prove that pretending to be perfect is the last thing you want to do."

It was quiet as she looked back away, and Jason sat silently, letting her think. 

Finally, she cleared her throat. In the same hollow tone she had first used when they met, she admitted, "My parents died when I was 9. I live with my grandma in a shitty apartment on the edge of town." Jason nodded, confirming what he had pretty much guessed. After a shaky breath, she continued, "She doesn't...she tries, but she doesn't understand. It's so hard for her." Tomi reached up to wipe a tear away, and he looked back over at her, surprised. "And I thought if I could be like you, so confident, and brave, and so good, I thought maybe she'd love--maybe she'd--"

Jason turned to her as her head dropped into her hands. Tomi had never been anything less than positive in front of them. Sure, he'd seen it slip a few times, but nothing like this. Not when Tomi was sitting here in front of him, openly crying as she confessed, "I tried, I really tried, but she's never happy, I'm never good enough for anyone--"

He pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. He knew exactly how she felt, and it was killing him that anyone else on his team felt like this. No one should ever feel like a disappointment.

When it seemed like her crying was slowing down, he shifted so that she was more on his shoulder, and told her quietly, "I'm not as good as you seem to think I am."

"Bullshit," she snorted, voice watery, and Jason smirked bitterly against her hair. 

"Or as confident. I…" He shook his head, and she moved, listening as she sniffed. "It's hard, you know? I was probably the least qualified, but I was picked as the leader. It's terrifying, especially last month when Rita was still here. I never knew if I was doing the right thing, and I was always worried someone would get hurt." He cut himself off abruptly, swallowing down the lump in the throat.

She replied quietly, "Well, everyone's still here, so you're obviously doing something right."

"Billy died."

Tomi sat up abruptly, eyes wide. "What?"

Jason couldn't look at her, and he stared hard at his shaking hands, trying to physically will them to stop. "He died. Rita killed him to try and teach us a lesson. He was dead, for at least a half an hour. Billy was dead. Billy _died,_ Tomi."

Now it was Tomi's turn to slip an arm around him, holding on tightly to his waist as the tears slipped out. He hadn't let himself cry since that night, and now it was all too easy to remember how it had felt to hold Billy's cooling body in his arms. He remembered the exact weight as he carried him back to the ship, and still woke up sometimes with that pressure on his chest. Billy's empty face haunted his dreams, and it flashed through his mind every time he made a decision regarding his team. He couldn't let that happen again, he could never let anything happen to them ever again.

"Zordon brought him back," he continued, sniffing hard. He didn't bother wiping the tears off, letting them roll down his chin. Tomi kept her head pressed against his, their arms tight around each other. "He came back to life, but I still think about it all the time. I can never forget that time I messed up and got him killed. I know it wasn't directly my fault, but I'm responsible for all of you, you know? You're my team, and I make the decisions, and it's…" His voice grew quiet. "It's terrifying."

Tomi shifted so their legs were pressed together as well, and after a moment, she spoke. "For what it's worth, I think you're an incredible leader." Her voice was stronger than it had been a few minutes before, and he closed his eyes. "You do such a good job with everyone. Somehow, you make their weaknesses their strengths, and you're a great friend to all of them, and you care so much. I think I'd probably go nuts if I let myself care half as much as you did." They both laughed a bit, and she sighed, relaxing her grip on him. "I almost feel bad. You've been so welcoming and I'm still holding back. You guys have been nothing but nice to me and I still don't let myself trust you guys."

"You're not obligated to trust us," Jason immediately told her, adding with a smirk, "Especially not when Trini literally almost gutted you last week."

Tomi smirked. "True, true. Fair point."

Another few moments of silence passed between them, and Jason could feel the shift. They'd crossed some sort of line, but a good one. They'd surpassed some sort of hurdle, he was sure. They could make it. They'd be okay.

"I'm not…"

Tomi's voice was quiet, and after a second of chewing on her lip, she tried again. "I don't think I'm quite ready yet. To tell you guys everything, that is. I mean, it's honestly probably not even that big of a deal, but it's...it's a lot for me, you know? I'm still trying to figure it out for myself."

"That's fine." He nodded, jostling their heads, still resting against each other. "Take as much time as you need. We'll always be here."

"See what I mean?" Tomi settled in closer to his side. "Best leader a team could ask for."


	7. give me the green light, just stay with me one night

"There's the matchmaker herself!" Zack called cheerily as a greeting, hopping down into the pit. Kim was training on the other side with her new bow, leaving Tomi by herself sparring against some fake putties.

"Matchmaker?" Tomi snorted, still focusing on the rock man in front of her. She threw a few punches, getting a good couple hits in before using a kick to send it back a few feet.

"Yes, matchmaker. AKA…" Zack nodded, leaning against a rock as he watched her, "The girl who finally got the other two girls to stop dancing around each other and actually start making out."

"They made out?" Tomi asked distractedly, and Zack smirked.

"Not the point I was trying to make, but yes. At least, I think so. Probably. Have you _seen_ Kim's self control?" Both of them laughed, and with one more flying kick, the putty exploded. Tomi finally turned to Zack, breathing hard as she tried to catch her breath.

"So what _was_ the point you were making?"

"That you seem to have a good handle on people." He crossed his arms, still smirking. "You can read them well and understand when they're hiding feelings. Especially those of the romantic variety. I mean, not only did you get pink and yellow together, but our fearless leader is finally starting to put the moves on little Billy blue!"

Tomi raised an eyebrow. "Dude, I didn't do much. That was mostly them."

"But you," Zack poked her shoulder, making her smile, "Gave that final nudge."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. So…?"

"So…" He leaned closer, down more at her height. "How come you can get everyone else to tell their secrets except your own?"

Tomi's smile dropped immediately. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on!" Zack threw his hands in the air, annoyed at how quickly the mood had changed. "You've been dancing around me for weeks, too scared to say something! You've gotten close a few times, I can tell!" She started backing away, and he held up his hands in a placating manner. "Why not just say it? What's the worst that can happen? Are you scared?"

Tomi scowled. "I'm not scared of you."

Zack grinned. _There it was._ "Then say it."

After a staredown, Tomi screeched, "Fine! Fine." Tomi glared at Zack, hands on her hips. "You have an odd way of drawing shit out of people, you know?"

"Thanks!" He beamed at her, straightening up off the rock pillar, and she narrowed her eyes.

"It's not a compliment."

Zack just waited, innocent smile still in place. And he waited. And Tomi was still staring at him. For the first time since he'd known her, Tomi hesitated. She fidgeted with her hands in front of her, and Zack finally got an inkling that this might be big. There was the possibility that this was a lot bigger than he had first assumed. This could be bigger than getting her to admit her crush on him, or even bigger than apologizing for using his battle axe yesterday in training. 

Tomi looked like she was afraid she was going to ruin something.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" He prodded quietly, and she looked up at him hopefully. The look made his heart jump, reminding him that he might've had a few things of his own to confess. "I know I'm kind of an asshole sometimes, but I won't honestly do anything to hurt or judge you. I swear." He offered a smile, voice gentle. "I wouldn't try and hurt the best girl I know, now, would I?"

Tomi bit her lip, and he felt himself swallow down a blush. The feelings had been growing stronger lately, but he knew there was a time and place for everything. Tomi had something serious she wanted to talk about, and he could ignore his own feelings for a minute. Friendship came first, especially with her.

Finally, she mumbled, "Um, what if...what if I told you I wasn't really a girl?"

Zack's brow furrowed, and he couldn't help his eyes from looking down at her. With an exaggerated eye roll, she took two steps forward, forcing him into eye contact with her. There was barely a foot between them, and she narrowed her eyes up at him.

"Not like that, you idiot." She sighed, then rushed out, "I get it, I'm not blind, I know I look feminine. And there's some days where that's okay. Great, even. But there's others where I...I just don't feel like a girl." Tomi looked down and away, and Zack could feel his expression slip out of confusion and into something more like understanding.

"Oh." Zack couldn't look away from Tomi's eyes as they made eye contact again. The green in the darkness of the pit was close to their suit color, shining and glinting with a hint of passion that was in everything they did. It clicked in his head a moment later, pieces falling into place. Damn, the suit thing made so much more sense, now. "Oh. Okay. So, should I like--"

"You can still use girl pronouns, I don't care." Tomi blushed quickly, interrupting him. "I mean, like, if you slip up it's whatever, but they works, too, I guess. Um, I think I like that one." They looked down at their feet, and Zack finally made himself move. Using one slightly shaky hand, he gently grabbed their chin, pulling their face back up to look at him. After swallowing once more, he managed to speak.

"I was going to say…" He let himself smile, voice dropping quieter. "Would you prefer if I call you my girlfriend, or my datemate?"

Tomi's eyes blinked in confusion, that same incomprehensible look they got every time Zack said something wild. It was one they used often when he'd come get them for late night runs, or for dumb movie watching, or for climbing something that Trini would definitely yell at them for. Even if the look told him _you're crazy,_ they'd always smile and say _yes._ Their eyes widened, and then they grinned wide, _wide wide wide,_ smile lighting up the entire cave. The butterflies in his stomach kicked into overdrive, and he thought it was kind of impressive that the two of them powered through two major confessions in the span of five minutes. He could barely feel his feet.

"Datemate, definitely." Tomi laughed breathlessly. "Where the hell did you come up with that one?"

"It rhymes, do you like it?"

"Love it."

 

Billy adjusted to the pronouns the fastest, but everyone else was quick to correct themselves, and within two days, had it down. Tomi smiled and wondered why they had ever doubted them in the first place.

 

Their grandmother cried the whole night when she found the binder. Tomi had tried to explain that they didn't wear it all the time, it was only for the worst days, but it did no good. They left and spent the night at the highest point in the quarry, looking up at the stars and wondering why they even bothered.

 

Rita looked back down and whispered, "Soon, my little ranger, soon."


	8. scream, green devil, like a bat out of hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm actually really upset because i had a great idea for a plot twist but then i forgot it right before i got to writing this chapter :( so here's the second best version i guess whatever it's still okay
> 
> tomi's still great and that's all that matters

Rita found Tomi in the middle of a fight with putties.

Jason had his back to them, but he could still feel the weird crackle of electricity that coursed through his helmet, felt the burn as what felt like a limb was being torn away. Confused and in pain, he spun around, but his right arm was still there. He swiped at another putty, mind reeling. What was going on?

A flash of green nearly blinded him.

Blinking quickly to clear his eyes, he saw through the lines of putties in front of him something he had hoped he'd never see again. 

Rita, without a suit, yet still holding onto a terrifyingly large scepter, grinning down at Tomi, on their knees. Tomi's arms were bent at an odd angle, and as Rita reached down to touch their helmet, Tomi let out an earsplitting shriek.

"Tomi!" Zack howled, immediately flying through six putties with his axe. He was a second too late, the former and current green rangers disappearing in an ugly flash of light that left Jason breathless, chest constricting in pain as the connection was severed. He couldn't sense Tomi at all. There was a gaping hole in the middle of his consciousness that served as the connection to his rangers. His fingers were going numb.

"Where are they?!" Zack howled, spinning around. "Where did that bitch take them?!"

"Rita's back," Trini was hissing in his ear, almost like a mantra, and Billy was silent, barely able to fight back against the putties with how hard he was shaking. "Rita's back, she's alive, Rita's back--"

_"Where's Tomi?"_

Jason cut through one more putty with his sword, and he fell to the ground, hands barely catching him in time. He had let another teammate go. Rita had taken another one. He had failed them.

 

"That's impossible!" Zordon shouted, face flying across the wall. "She can't teleport! None of us could on our own, not without the coins! Not unless we were directly taken by the grid--"

"Could she have access somehow?" Alpha was already plugged in, robot hands flying across the seven oddly shaped keyboards in front of him. "Is there some way she could be connected?"

Jason was standing with a hand pressed to his mouth, running through it in his mind over and over again. The putties all along had been practice runs, trivial things, gearing up for the big distraction where Rita was going to make her move. She had been planning this all along, and none of them had seen it coming.

On the morphing grid in front of them, the green had faded to a dull asparagus color, and Zack was sitting facing away from it, head in his hands.

"There has to be some way to track it," Billy was rambling, had been rambling since they got back to the ship. "If she's using the grid, then we should be able to track the energy, see where she's going and where she's been hiding and any other times she's tapped into it--"

"Well get on it then!" Trini pointed aggressively toward an extra keyboard, and Billy flinched before almost sprinting over to it. Trini sighed, pulling at her hair. "Sorry, sorry, I'm just so _stressed,_ this is so shitty, how did she survive being backhanded into space?!"

"Worrying isn't going to help."

Everyone paused, turning to look. Jason could have cried in relief. Kim, always levelheaded in fights, always ready to toughen up and handle a situation logically. She had her lips pressed tightly together, fists clenched so hard her fingers were white, but she was the calm in the middle of the storm. She looked back at him, nodding. "Right? We just need to think about our next move. What's she going to do next?"

Jason nodded back at her, thankful, then cleared his throat before looking back at the morphing grid. "Tomi's color's still there, so that means they're still with us, right?" After hesitating, Zordon nodded, and Jason raised his voice. "They're alive, and that's what matters. First thing's first, we figure out what Rita would want with Tomi. If she's not killing them outright, then she needs Tomi for something. What could that be?"

"Coins sometimes remained connected to their former owners while they morphed their new ones," Zordon mused, thoughtful. "She could be abusing Tomi's coin for something."

"Is there any way she could affect the morph?" Jason pointed to the cloud of faded color. "It's gone bad, she must have done something."

"It turned that color last night," Alpha told him, and everyone stopped. For the first time since they had gotten back, the room was silent. The robot looked at all of them before holding his hands up apologetically. Slowly, he offered, "I mean, I figured it was just acting up. The green cloud has always been fickle."

"Did something happen last night?" Kim turned to Zack. Slowly, he lifted his head, and thankfully, no one commented on his red eyes.

"I--I don't know." His voice was quiet, usual bravado gone. "I mean, we didn't text a ton, but I think something might have happened with their grandma? I don't know, they didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't push it." He shook his head slowly, and Jason interrupted him before he could say what he knew was coming.

"It's fine, we'll find them. We'll get Rita, and we'll find them." He turned to Billy, who looked back at him with a determined gaze. "Let's find Tomi."

 

It was dark, and it was cold, and Tomi couldn't demorph.

Their leg plates had come off fine, but around their stomach and chest, they'd flicker off and then back on, unable to stay off for more than ten seconds at a time. There was a burning sensation in their arms that wouldn't stop, and in the darkness, somewhere, Rita kept appearing.

"No more daddy's little girl," Rita cooed, and two leg plates reappeared. Her face pressed close to Tomi, whispering in her ear, "You're not the nice young girl Zack's mother had hoped he'd bring home, are you?"

Tomi's helmet reappeared, only to fall away again as Rita ran a hand down her arm, soothing the pain for a second. 

"It's okay, you're with me now. You don't need them anymore."

"Stop it," Tomi hissed, keeping their eyes closed tight as Rita swooped back in again. "Stop."

"Stop what, reminding you that your grandmother still prays for a granddaughter she can be proud of?" The armor covered Tomi's legs once more. "Stop reminding you of how those people you called friends years ago fell away when you even _thought_ to confess to them?" The helmet closed in, dark and confining.

"Your friends never cared for the real you. _I_ know how it feels to be rejected. Your rangers are only pretending at acceptance. You think their perfect ideals would accept such an outsider? You don't need them, I have you. And I'm going to turn you into something so incredible, you'll never worry about any of their silly opinions again."

Rita's hand grasped Tomi's head, and all of the armor fell away as the white hot burning spread. Tomi screamed, and screamed, and screamed, and the darkness closed in.

 

_And I turned to raise my eyes to the sea, and the sea looked back at me. I asked for safe passage, for permission to venture, I asked for its blessing._

Water and rock swirled around, the cooling sensation washing away the white-hot burn of the coin, and the ranger fell to the ground, fists clenched tightly.

_The sea looked back at me, ageless and endless and ever changing._

"Rise, my ranger," Rita smiled, voice low and venomous. "Rise, and go forth. Destroy the ones who did not accept you as you were."

_And the sea found that it liked me._


	9. i'm trying to get that green back

"I hate to interrupt," Billy started, voice only wavering a bit, to his credit. Everyone looked over to him, all involved in their own parts of the search for Tomi. Billy looked up from his screen, grimacing as he told them, "But there's putties attacking downtown."

"We don't need this right now," Trini groaned, throwing her head back, and Kim's eyes widened, leaning down to look at Billy's screen he had pulled up.

"What _is_ that thing?"

A dark form on the screen was walking amongst the putties, shape warped and edges flowing. It didn't move like them, and looked like something entirely otherworldly.

Jason and Kim looked at each other, and Jason nodded.

"It's morphing time."

 

 

They touched down before any of the putties had a chance to reach the Krispy Kreme, and they were immediately thrown into the fight. There was a viciousness in Trini's moves, a calm fury in Kim's, and Jason felt it echoing down into his bones. It's not just the fate of the world this time, it was one of their own that they were fighting for.

"They're not heading towards the crystal."

Jason paused, and almost got knocked in the head by a putty. Confused, he spun around, looking over to Billy. "What?"

"It's not the crystal!" Billy pointed, drawing the team's attention to the directions the putties were coming from. "They came from the town but they're headed back that way!" It was true. While their original path had them heading for the Krispy Kreme, once the rangers had shown up, smaller groups had began moving back out of town.

"There it is!" Trini shrieked, and went flying through the air a second later. A group of putties stopped her, but not before the rest of the rangers saw what she was going towards. 

A massive figure, close to eight feet in height, was walking down main street and out towards the the edge of town. It were flanked on all sides by putties and leaving a massive trail of water in its wake. What looked like rock and seawater was flowing around it, swirling to form some sort of extra armor that gave off a dull green glow, like toxic waste. It paid no heed to the putties around them, and instead was moving with purpose towards the quarry.

"Stop them!" Jason ordered, and the team launched forward.

By the time Kim broke through the putties, they were out of town, but the monster hadn't stopped. Kim jumped forward, but was immediately buffeted by a cannon shot of water. It threw her back several feet, and Trini let out a hoarse shout before running forward as well. Slowly, Billy and Zack took care of the majority of the putties, and as one, the team stood in front of the creature, rubble covering the ground.

"What could they possibly want that's out this way?" Kim hissed, wincing as she stood. 

Billy's eyes caught the glint of green underneath the water, the dull glow that had turned the wrong color. Eyes wide, he gasped, "The Zords. She's after the green Zord."

"We don't even know if Tomi has a Zord!" Trini argued. "We never saw it, it wouldn't come up for them."

"Rita might be able to get to it," Jason told her, mouth set in a firm line. "Especially if the coin's protected in her magic like that."

"If Rita thinks she can get to it...then that must be…"

Everyone turned to look again, and the water creature paused, settling down into a defensive stance.

They stared at the monster, and it watched them carefully, arms drawing in tighter to its torso. Jason swallowed hard, not wanting to believe it. It couldn't be. There was no way. Maybe if they didn't say it out loud, it wouldn't be true--

Zack's voice broke, arm falling to his side. "Tomi?"

Water rocketed outwards immediately, and Jason pushed all thoughts aside as he ran forward into the fight.

 

_The sea, it rocks and changes with mind blowing fury._

Billy took out the last of the putties before a wall of water sent him flying into the trees. Trini managed to lodge a dagger in the shoulder of the creature, but hesitated to throw the second, getting her shoved aside by a wave as well.

_Both a foul temptress and the sweetest of lovers._

Kim landed on its back, letting out a cry as water rushed over her head. 

"Tomi! Tomi, it's us! Please!"

The creature roared, a watery, warbly sound, and Kim held on tighter, digging her hands into the slippery surface. 

"Please, Tomi, we can help! Whatever Rita did, we can help you!"

Kim was torn away and thrown to land next to Trini. With her, she took two strange gems that she held in her hands. They cracked as she landed on them, and at once, the watery armor fell away, a massive puddle at their feet. The creature was left standing before Jason and Zack, now closer to six feet, slimy green rock coating what could vaguely pass as the form of ranger armor. The green coin glowed dully from a cavity in its chest.

With a pained shout, Zack's battle axe appeared in his hand. Using only its fists, they fought him, spinning around and around in a dizzying flurry of fight patterns that Jason recognized as Tomi's erratic strategies.

"Tomi!" Zach pleaded between blows. "Tomi, please, get her out of your head! This isn't you!" He spun around, landing behind them. "Tomi, I don't want to fight you! Please."

The creature hesitated, and Zack took the chance, swinging down with his axe and lodging it in the shoulder. The rock cracked, and as it fell away, it threw Zack by the arm, leaving only Jason to watch as it all fell apart.

_The sea calls out to me._

The rock fell away, piece by piece, revealing the green ranger's armor. It was mottled, broken and dull, and now, had a deep gash across the top of the helmet that looked suspiciously similar to marks from Rita's scepter.

"Oh, Tomi," Jason couldn't help the hitch in his voice, nor the lump that rose in his throat. "Tomi, I'm so sorry we let her get you."

The green ranger was frozen, fists clenched and trembling all over. "She's taken care of me. She's helping." Their voice was warped, twisted and hoarse, like it hadn't been used properly for a week.

"She's _using_ you," Jason insisted, taking a brave step forward. "She's using you, she doesn't actually care."

"Then who does?" They shouted, and the green glow on their chest began to grow brighter. "Who would ever care about me?"

"We do." Jason gestured back to the team, slowly rising to their feet and coming to stand back behind him. "We always have. We're your family, Tomi, and we'll always love you. Forever. Just come back to us. Don't let her do this to you."

_The sea calls out to me._

More chips of rock fell away, and the visor disappeared, revealing Tomi's teary face. Red and stained with mud, their voice broke as they asked, "Promise?"

Jason nodded resolutely. "I promise."

_And I, and I, call back to the sea._

 

Green light exploded outwards. The few remaining putties were incinerated on impact, and from farther away, a wordless shriek rang out.

When the light finally faded, Jason was left in front of someone he didn't know right away.

The green armor had returned to its original color: deep, sparkling green, scratches faded away. Golden chest plates made a different silhouette, the golden arm bands surrounding their wrists the same deep color he had seen only in the morphing grid.

Tomi's face was beaming, smiling back at him. 

Deep in his chest, something clicked and fell into place.


	10. whiskey and green tea almost killed me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just tying up some loose ends

Without the green zord, Rita still launched her attack on the ship.

The clear gems that had been used on Tomi before were thrown down by the thousands, creating water creatures along with the putties. After the brief reunion with Tomi, they turned to fight, Zach and Tomi moving as one insanely fast unit, and managed to cut down at least a third of the putties themselves. Even with their help, it was almost no use. They were vastly outnumbered, and as the water creatures joined together to form one massive one, Jason looked up and wondered if they'd survive this fight.

"Get to the Zords!" He shouted, and everyone took off, launching themselves past the putties in order to get there. Jason knew they only had a few precious moments before that water creature would be done forming and begin to fight, and he scrambled forward, praying they would make it.

Two massive putties attacked him, and he managed to fight them off before twisting and almost falling off the cliff face.

Tomi grabbed Jason's hand, the slight screech of armor on armor echoing as they pulled him back to his feet. An explosion rocked them sideways, but they twisted, pulling him away from the gorge and back onto stable ground.

"Thanks," Jason gasped, and moved to start running, but was pulled backwards by a solid tug.

Tomi didn't let go of his hand, and in a shaky voice, they told him, "I want to thank you." Jason turned around fully, confused, and wished he could take their mask off so he could try and figure out what on earth that tone of voice meant. Rushing on, they continued, "For giving me a chance. I know we were never good friends when we were young, and I pulled some shit on you and the team, and especially with what just happened with Rita. God, I can't believe I let her get in my head, I was so dumb, and now that I've gotten to know you all…" Tomi shook their head. "I realized how dumb I was to never trust any of you. I shouldn't have taken that out on you guys. I would give my life for any of you, now, and if this is my first and last big fight, I want you to know how grateful I am for you accepting me."

The deep gash across their helmet caught the light, a bitter reminder that they were almost lost forever. Despite almost dying, they were willing to put down their life to protect the team, and it sent chills down his spine. Swallowing down the bitter taste of guilt, he instead let the warm rush of love and trust for his fellow ranger rush over him, almost making him dizzy. Jason grabbed their arm tightly, hoping his voice conveyed the emotion he felt. "You don't have to thank me. You were meant to be a ranger, and it's what we do. For what it's worth, any of us would die for you as well. You were always meant to be here with us, and you'll be with us forever." Tomi nodded, and he smirked. "Now what do you say we take your Zord out for a proper test run and kick some ass?"

He could feel Tomi's grin reflected in his soul, the morphing grid finally bridging any gaps that were left on the team. The green light washed over all of them, connecting them and reassuring them. "Let's do it, Red."

They formed the Megazord in record time. The green Dragonzord became a golden chest plate and shoulder armor, reminiscent of Tomi's own new armor, and with the extra padding, they were able to easily overcome the water creature. They broke apart and destroyed the last of the putties, and with one last blast from Kim's Zord, the putties were gone.

Despite Billy's massive scans of the area and morphing grid, Rita was nowhere to be found. Zordon was troubled by this, but insisted that if something would happen, they would be able to handle it.

The team demorphed--Tomi just as fast as the rest of them--and left the bridge, walking out. Zack threw his arm around Tomi's shoulders, looking at the rest of his friends. "So. Prom. How's that gonna work with your conservative parents?"

Kim immediately blushed, but Trini and Jason shared a smile. "Ah, I think we got some cover we can use."

Billy looked confuse. "Cover? Is prom secret?"

"Well," Zack smiled at Tomi and Kim, "Considering the couples, I say it splits up quite nicely."

"Couples?"

"Yeah, me and Tomi, Trini and Kim, and you and Jason." Zack noticed the weird look Jason had, and looked back to Billy. "You do know that you and Jason are going together, right?"

Billy paused, and everyone turned back to look at him. "Well, yeah. Of course we're going together. I'm his ride, he wouldn't be able to get there otherwise unless he walked."

Trini snorted, and Jason blushed. "Ah, no, Billy, that's not what he meant. I, uh, I want to go with you. As like, a date."

Billy didn't move for thirty seconds. Finally, his eyes widened, and he blushed the deepest red any of them had ever seen. "Oh. Date. Okay. Yes, that's fine. Dates are fine. We can date. Go as dates, I mean."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Come on, dweebs, let's get out of here. I need to shower."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> end credits are next chapter


	11. but everything looks better in gold and green

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay first off i just wanna thank anyone that read this. i'm really really into the new rangers and how they've been portrayed, and i can't wait to see what they do with the sequel and how they handle tomi. 
> 
> this was more of a study of tomi's character than an actual plot-filled story, and i'm sure the plot won't revolve quite so heavily around them in the sequel, but it'd still be nice to see some of these elements in there. i might write a few more one shots about things, but i'll just put them in this series thing i have going on.
> 
> this last part is just snippets of things during the credits. nothing major.
> 
> thanks again!!! all of the comments make my day, and yall are more than welcome to come yell at me on tumblr any time (i'm davetrash). here's hoping the sequel gets confirmed soon so my dumb ass can go scream over tomi in public!!!!

Kim's flowers matched Trini's dress, and Billy's pocket square was the color of Jason's armor. Tomi looked like like they were wearing a maxi dress, but when they spread their legs apart, it was actually pants. Zack shoved mints in their pockets all night long.

_[Credits begin rolling to cut scenes of them dancing at prom. Tomi, Trini, Kim, and Zack successfully execute the Breakfast Club dance. Billy moonwalks, leaving Jason blushing and happy. Kim and Trini say 'gal pals' at least 20 times over the course of the night. Freeze frame on a shot of all of them smiling, fade to black, credits continue.]_

_[Credits fade away to the detention room. Tomi walks in, smirking at everyone else.]_

The teacher looked up, bored. "Ah, Tomi, nice to see you'll be joining us. Hopefully no more explosions today."

"No guarantees, Mr. H," Tomi grinned, sliding in the seat closest to Zack and shooting Billy a wink. Kim giggled quietly across the room.

"Not exactly the type to change, huh?" Zack teased, and Jason and Tomi grinned.

"Who, me? Never."

_[Camera zooms in on Trini's smirking face. Cut immediately to a shot of Trini standing in the pit, eyes wide as her helmet reveals her face.]_

"No way, no way--"

"Holy shit, what is that?"

_[Camera zooms out.]_

Everyone except for Tomi is gathered in a semi-circle, staring wide eyed at something. Billy shakes his head. "First red, now this?!!"

Tomi looks up, a surprised grin spreading on their face. Slowly, it's revealed that their arm armor has turned a pure, shining white. They smile widely. "Something tells me it's about to get interesting."

_[White Wedding by Billy Idol starts playing, scene cuts to black and the credits resume.]_

**Author's Note:**

> this is the most self indulgent thing i've done lmao come yell with me on tumblr at davetrash


End file.
